1. What is your personal experience and policy approach to transportation in Guelph?*
My personal experience with transit goes back to my UG student days and the Social Science student government that organized and ran an evening bus service when there was none available it the city. That has since been replaced by the CSA, GSA and city night time service. I share that as good ideas, advocacy and action comes from many places and partnerships in our community and we need to be open to new ideas and stretching what we currently do. I was an avid public transit user until my children came along, at which time getting to appointments, lessons and events in various locations throughout the city, in a timely manner, was much more difficult to plan and manage. Our high school children used public transit to get around the city and we encouraged comfort and skills to plan and map out public transit use. As a family we model and use public transit and shuttle services for city events and connections to other regional transportation for meetings and to visit family in Toronto. My approach with policy and any issues has always been to deeply understand the regulatory framework, funding and the system that has been built with those parameters and values in mind. That understanding provides me with the basis to ask questions about how things are done and ask about alternatives. Policy is about values. I believe that transportation, in all modalities is important for the development of a healthy, inclusive and sustainable community. A well funded, frequent and reliable transportation system is good for the economic vitality of the city. A reduction of cars on the road, use of public transit and other modes of travel will directly benefit our city’s climate target goals. Public transit is also a community asset that needs to be accessible to all residents to benefit from.
2. What changes do you propose for Guelph Transit and what is your priority issue for improving Guelph Transit?*
Your survey [Q#11] makes reference to the Limestone DSB and Kingston school board-city partnership in developing a culture of transit users in students and their families. This is a business case that I am deeply familiar with and have been advocating for since 2018/19. The benefit to the school board is that students would have greater access [Equity of Access] to specialized programs that does not provide any student transportation services, such as the IB program at Guelph CVI. The Kingston partnership and initiative focused on the development of a culture of public transit use which in my view is a critical starting point in systems change.
ECONOMIC
Public transit contributes to our economic competitiveness across different scales—from the macro economic impacts of infrastructure investments to the community benefits of improved mobility. Transit also creates benefits for us as a society, by improving sustainability, and for individual households, by reducing the cost of living.
3. Since reliable, frequent transit systems are an asset to economic development and that every $1.00 spent on public transportation has an economic benefit to the community of between $3 and $5 dollars (CUTA), would you be in favour of investing more (operational and capital) into public transit?*
Yes X
No
Other:
4. To be more cost-efficient at meeting modal split goals and implementing intermodal transportation plans, many cities have their Transportation Services, Transit, and Economic Development departments under one roof.
In the Navigating our Future part of the Future Ready Plan, transit and transportation services are listed together but work under two different Deputy CAO's.
Would you support placing these departments back together under one Deputy CAO (as they were prior to the 2005 realignment) to achieve maximum transportation integration, policy implementation, and financial efficiency?*
Yes X
No
Other:
AFFORDABLE
Because Guelph Transit has depended on rider fares for almost 45% of its operating budget, lower ridership during the pandemic created significant budget shortfalls. Guelph Transit ridership is not projected to recover to 100% in the immediate future. As of Summer 2022, Guelph Transit's overall ridership was at about 80% of pre-pandemic levels. The provincial and federal governments provided transit operating funding during the pandemic through the Safe Restart Agreements, but this funding will soon expire.
5. If Guelph Transit faces continued budget shortfalls due to slow ridership recovery, will you oppose cuts to transit service, the deferral of capital projects, and increases to fares?
Yes X
No
Other:
6. Will you be a strong champion for Guelph to the provincial and federal governments for their continued investment in Guelph Transit operating funding to protect and expand transit service levels? Will you also make sure the Transit Gas Tax funding goes directly to a transit reserve and not general revenues?*
Yes X
No
Other:
FARES
Like most North American cities, Guelph relies on the fare box to fund a significant portion of its transit operations. However, there are many cities around the world looking to battle climate change by lowering fares, adding fare-free options and in some instances going completely fare-free.
The Guelph Transit Fare Strategy is coming in the next few months and may include some but not all of the below questions.
7. Fare capping is a simple concept in public transit fare payments that eliminates the inadvertent social inequity caused by having riders pay upfront for unlimited ride monthly passes.
At its simplest, fare capping rewards all riders for traveling by automatically providing ‘period passes’ based on how much they ride/spend over periods of time (i.e. Weekly/Monthly) without needing to purchase them upfront.
Will you support funding for fare capping?*
Yes
No
Other: I am not sure what this would look like in our transit system, I support the democratization and economic model but have questions about the technology and if the tech would exclude some members of the community from benefitting; I am unclear how the subsidized bus pass would fit into this model. I like the idea but would need to understand it better before responding Yes or No to the funding of the model in our transit system.
8. Many cities are lowering fares to help recover ridership from Covid, attract new riders to meet climate goals, and give those struggling with higher expenses, like families with two or more vehicles, an affordable alternative.
Would you support lowering transit fares to meet climate goals and help struggling families?*
Yes X
No
Other:
9. Free transit systems are on the rise around the world. Luxembourg eliminated the fares on its buses, trains, and trams throughout the tiny country in 2020. Malta currently makes transit free for young people and seniors, and all fares will be eliminated by October 2022. Cities across Canada, the United States, France, Sweden, Bulgaria, and more have free transit, too.
Would you be in support of having City Staff investigate the different fare-free transit models and have them report back to Council in 2023?*
Yes
No
Other: Absolutely. I come from Malta and Italy and integrated transportation is critical to the economic and social fabric of the countries and is the culture of the country. If the culture grown relies on public transportation that is frequent, reliable and available to many then this will also contribute to the attainment of the city's climate targets. Yes absolutely investigate and innovate.
10. Will you support implementing fare-free public transit for high school students?
Expanding free Guelph Transit to high school students can create transit users for life. A Kingston, Ontario program to provide free transit passes to high school students, along with an on-bus orientation session to teach students how to ride the bus, has increased overall transit ridership by 73% since 2012. *
Yes
No
Other: Yes absolutely. As a current school board trustee and chair of the UGDSB this is a business case I presented to school board staff and discussed with the Mayor in 2018 and 2019. I would absolutely support a model such as the partnership between Kingston and the Limestone DSB. I believe that a wide-angle lens to the culture and economic sustainability of public transit exists in this kind of business case and mix of ridership.
11. Will you support permanent funding for the Sliding Scale Affordable Bus Pass and the Kids Ride Free pilot programs?
Yes X
No
Other:
12. With an expanding city, traveling across Guelph by bus takes longer. Some riders are having to pay double the fare as transfers are only valid for 1 hour from the time you board the bus.
Many neighbouring transit systems have moved to a 2-hour transfer window. This allows riders to hop on and hop off to do things like support local businesses and restaurants.
Will you support directing staff to put into place a 2-hour transfer for Guelph Transit by Q1 2023?
Yes X
No
Other:
RELIABILITY
In a city that has valued private automobile ownership over reliable and quality bus services, reliability has become and continued to be an issue. The number of bus route cancellations over the past decade has jumped considerably and had an economic impact on local businesses, while workers have lost job opportunities.
Transit improvements for reliability don’t need to cost millions of dollars and take decades to build. Measures like traffic signal priority and bus lanes are cost-effective ways to improve reliability and speed.
13. How much do you value reliability? What will you do to make transit more reliable for the next 4 years? *
I believe that the transit reliability is a critical element, if riders cant plan their trips reliably and consistently, then individuals will revert to alternative modes including cars to meet their transit needs. Some of my responses are included in the questions that follow. I believe that improving reliability for riders means quicker more frequent services which is linked to the city’s infrastructure, roads, traffic lights, some of which was outlined in the Quality Network report. I appreciated the identification of short term-immediate opportunities to road changes. Moving forward with these intentional recommendations is something that I would like to see and support within the context of the city’s infrastructure plans.
14. Will you support priority measures that will improve Guelph Transit service and make routes more effective, like traffic signal priority, queue jump lanes for buses and all-door boarding during peak times?*
Yes
No X
Other:
15. In 2020, Guelph City Council approved a non-tender of software for On-Demand Transit. This has led to mixed results.
Some examples include having all riders book 15-minutes in advance compared to other On-Demand apps, and language barriers for those who do not speak English as a first language.
Would you support an independent review of the On-Demand system?
This means looking at comparable cities, their schedules, software, and best practices and bringing back recommendations for improvements.
Yes
No
Other: Yes I would support a Review. I have heard many complaints about On Demand and while I think the idea is a good one, I am not sure that it is delivering on the expectations of improved reliability and frequency.
16. When it works, On-Demand can be a great tool for select holidays and other situations, however, not all holidays or situations are equal.
For example, Civic Holiday (John Galt Day) is not considered a Statutory Holiday for everyone with the majority of people having to still get to and from work. On Canada Day, a number of riders reported wait times equivalent to a normal fixed scheduled bus route of 30 minutes.
Would you support a public consultation and review of each holiday's transit service levels?*
Yes X
No
Other:
FREQUENCY
Research has shown that the key to getting people to ride transit in communities is the frequency of service and travel time. Most people are only prepared to wait 15-minutes for a bus.
High-frequency service means buses arrive at stops more often leading to shorter waits at every point on your transit trip, including transfer points. This, along with transit priority measures and simple direct routes with ease of connections to your destination, helps reduce travel times. Frequent and reliable service also makes spontaneous trips on transit easier.
17. Will you support the creation of a 15-minute-or-better bus network along the Transit Quality Network?*
Yes X
No
Other:
18. Would you support increasing frequency to 15-minutes or better on key routes 7 days a week? *
Yes X
No
Other:
19. Would you support expanding and increasing the frequency of off-peak and nighttime service to better serve shift workers, women, and low-income riders who depend on transit most?
Yes X
No
Other:
ACCESIBILITY
Public transit is a lifeline and must be accessible to all. For example, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (2021) raised accessibility concerns about the PRESTO system. Many of these same concerns and issues can also be linked to Guelph Transit's On Your Way card system.
To be useful, transit must make it easy for riders to access bus routes from their homes and provide convenient service to the destination riders want to go. To be accessible, sidewalks to bus stops and stations must be a high priority for snow clearing, and stops should have proper amenities such as shelters and lighting.
20. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) deadline for full accessibility is coming up in 2025. How will you make sure Guelph Transit meets AODA regulations? What else will you do to make transit more accessible to the public?
I am very familiar with AODA plans, developed with input from an Advisory Cttee, and compliance audits from my role with the Upper Grand DSB. I would expect that similar processes and regular monitoring would be followed at the city including budget processes and Accessibility included in other city plans. I believe that it is also important to constantly invite and welcome input from a standing advisory committee, including transit riders on how to make the service more accessible and be receptive to community input and suggestions. I have responded to questions about accessibility for low-moderate income households below [Q#22] and believe that this value and investment in public transit is important to maintain.
21. Will you champion more funding from the provincial government to expand Mobility service and protect door-to-door Mobility service for those who need it?
Yes X
No
Other:
22. As bus tickets were replaced by On Your Way single-fare tickets and cards, will you work to ensure continued access to transit for individuals marginalized by poverty, and drop-in agencies continue to have access?
This includes ensuring access to bulk ordering for drop-ins and community organizations that distribute Guelph Transit single ride tickets, expanding locations to buy and reload On Your Way cards, and eliminating the $5 fee to purchase a card.
Yes
No
Other: Yes. I have purchased cards for distribution to families in the community and the cost and process was difficult and unwelcoming. I would agree that the cost for the cards and the ease of re-loading, by having multiple locations to load rides, would help with access. Connect with people where they are living.
23. Will you work to improve winter and pedestrian safety at bus stops?
This involves snow and ice clearing to ensure all riders can safely board their bus during the winter, expanding signalized mid-block crossings, and improving amenities at stops.
Yes X
No
Other:
24. Will you work to improve riders’ everyday experience navigating Guelph Transit?
This involves improving customer service by creating a Customer Service Plan and hiring a dedicated Customer Service Manager, more supportive staff at major transit hubs, wifi at stations, benches and shelters, and introducing an accessible wayfinding standard using graphics, Braille, visual and audio announcements, as well as translating construction detours and emergency notices into languages other than English.*
Yes
No
Other: Yes for sure. Attracting riders is one part of the public transit development plan, there needs to be plans for communication and retention of riders and a constant understanding of who is/not our riders in order to better provide services.
CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT
Brent Toderian recently told the city that “You're green, but not as green as you think you are” when it comes to reaching our communities climate actions and goals.
Simply keeping your car at home and taking public transit for your 30-kilometre morning commute could eliminate 10 percent of your household GHG emissions if you own two cars. And getting rid of one car in favour of public transit could help you reduce 30 percent of your carbon dioxide emissions.
25. The pandemic has seen many former transit trips shift onto private vehicles. Will you support policies that help move people back onto public transit from private vehicles (personal or ride-hailing)?*
Yes X
No
Other:
26. Will you support moving more quickly to implement the recommendations in the Transportation Master Plan and create priority transit corridors in the next term of Council?*
Yes
No
Other: Yes. With the recognition that the Master Plan makes recommendations that will require capital investments and changes to existing infrastructure. While the next term can commit to the recommendations, the community may not see the changes in this next term.
27. In one high-profile report, C40 cities declared that, “public transport usage must double in cities over the next decade.” Would you support a plan to double ridership by 2032?*
Yes X
No
Other:
28. The Future Ready Plan of the Transit Route Review will only see the modal share of transit use increase by 2 per cent over the next decade to 13 per cent compared to 11 per cent in 2017. Would you support a plan to double ridership by 2026?*
Yes X
No
Other:
FUTURE READY
The "Essential Elements of Good Transit" lays out the key areas that all Transit departments should follow. Fast, Frequent, Reliable, Accessible, User-Friendly, and Being on the Way.
At the end of the day, a critical question has yet to be understood and discussed in full by Council, Staff, the community, and transit users - What do we want our transit system to be?
29. Before discussing which route goes where what we first should be focusing on is how much of the limited resources do we want to be dedicated to doing one thing over another & if we want to put more money into achieving a more balanced network or not.
Do we want a transit system focus on high coverage with buses stopping all over the city, or on high frequency to the most popular areas or routes?
Unfortunately, it looks like we "skipped" over this conservation when the Route Review was in development and approved by Council.
Will you support directing Staff as part of the upcoming Transit Master Plan in 2023 to have this question answered?
This also includes the Route Review and Fare Strategy to be included in the TMP process.
*
Yes
No
Other: Yes. I think that this is an important question that needs to be considered and underpins the design of the service delivery, buses, infrastructure, technology and human resources.
30. Brent Toderian said to Guelphities “Your actions and your targets will not get you to 63 per cent less emissions per capita by 2030. I'm not even sure they will get you there by 2050. You're not going far enough, fast enough."
Would you support having staff look at ways to expedite implementing the Transit Route Review plan in 5 years instead of 7-10 years?*
Yes
No
Other: Yes. I think that all plans should have actions that can be achieved in the immediate short term, low hanging fruit, no cost, low cost.
REGIONAL TRANSIT
The urban areas of the Grand River Watershed (Waterloo-Kitchener-Cambridge, Guelph, and
Brantford), although close in proximity, do not have efficient (if any) transit links between them.
GO Transit service, although available in all the urban areas, is not geared towards these local transit connections and is not meeting the needs of transit users who need local transit between our communities. The loss of Greyhound service has exacerbated already lacking intercommunity transit options. Despite deregulation, private operators have not filled the void quickly enough.
With a job market that is in desperate need of employees, potential workers cannot fill jobs because of non existent transit connections, the high cost of owning a car, and more affordable living costs in a different city (i.e. rent)
31. Existing and potential transit users have been vocal for years about the poor transit connectivity between our communities. A growing number of University and College Student Unions, University and College Faculty Associations, Environmental groups, local Chambers, and Transit Advocacy groups want to see something like the "Link the Watershed" proposal put into place - a concept already found in several Ontario communities.
Both Waterloo Region (GRT) and Brantford are looking at the Link the Watershed proposal but Guelph has been a holdout.
Will you support directing staff to connect with these municipalities to work together in finding solutions to better coordinate and connect our communities together with local transit?*
Yes
No
Other: Yes. This is a long discussed and over due service.
32. The Route Review does not plan on inter-regional transit until 2025 with a route from Guelph Central Station into Cambridge, with one to Kitchener set to come onboard in 2026, followed by an Aberfoyle connection in 2027.
Would you support a revised timeline on regional transit that puts the first route (Cambridge) in place by the end of 2023?*
Yes X
No
Other:
34. Is there anything else you'd like to say about Transit in Guelph? Please feel free to leave a response below. If you'd like to have a one-on-one with members of TAAG, please let us know!
I am hoping that I will have an opportunity to work with TAAG as a school board trustee I have been working since 2018 to try to address our own education issue of improving Equitable Access to optional educational programs such as the IB program at Guelph CVI. I completely recognize that there is no quick fix and that this is a system that needs time to be developed, partnerships, funding, infrastructure. This being said for students, and also community members who are relying on public transit to get to appointments and work on time, and the current deepening context of affordability, we need to address and make commitments to public transportation in this next term.
35. Where can people learn more about you and your campaign? (Please include links to the website and any social media channels.)*
Twitter @LBusuttil
website LindaBusuttil.net
email Linda4GuelphCouncil@gmail.com
cell/ text 519 546 2274
